Puanoottaph co



APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1918- Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

WITNESSES A TTORA/EYS THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

FREDERICK W. MEYER,

PATRICK W. B.

or JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY,VASSIGNO1R- or ONE-HALF .TO

GARYN', ornnw YORK, N. Y.

WATER-TANK ELECTRIC DISPLAY-SIGN.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

'Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed June 25, 1913. Serial No. 241,808.

To all whom it may concern j Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, inthe county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Water-Tank Electric Display-Sign, of which the following 1s a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric display signs of the rotary type, such as that disclosed in my application for -United States Letters Patent SerialNumber H8535, filed February 14, 1917.

The object of s I provide a sign which surrounds a water tank, tower, smoke stackor equivalent object, but inthe presentinstance the frame of the sign is rotatably mounted on a platform instead of being carried by the water tank or equivalentv mounting the frame being of simple, novel and reliable constructionand so designed that the frame of the'sign can be easily operated with a minimum of power.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide simple, novel and effective means for obtaining an electrical connection between'a supply circuit and the letters of the T sign. I

With such and otherob]ects in view, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and, arrangement -ofparts which will be set forth with particularly the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views,

Figure 1 is a side view of a water tank with a sign thereon, portions being broken away and in section to illustrate the details of construction; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of the lower part of the sign frame to show the wheel arrangement for supporting the frame and the gear by which the frame is turned.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a water tank or equivalent object which has a surrounding platform 1 at the bottom which forms a support for the sign frame B. This frame is an open work iron bar structure which surrounds the tank A. On the platform is a round rod annular track 2 supchanneled ring 4:, a plurality of bands angle iron, upright bars 6 and crossing inthe present invention is to pose object, the means for open side of its ported on pedestals .3 fastened to the form 1. The frame B is composed of a base clined bars 7, all of which parts are riveted together. The channeled base ring 1 has its channel open at the bottom, and in this channel are arranged grooved wheels 8 which ride on the track 2. By reason of'the grooving of the wheels 8 the frame is rotatably supported without danger of lateral displacement. At the apex of the cover a of the tank is a roller bearing 9 in which is disd a vertical shaft 10 carried by the cap 1f C own 11 of the. sign frame, which cap or crown is rigidly fastened to the upper band 5 by a plurality of bars 12. This bearing 9 between the tank and the top of the frame insures lateral stability of the frame.

The sign frame B is driven in any suitable manner, as for instance, by a pair of gear wheels 12 carried on the upper, ends of fvertical'shafts 13, which are connected by worm gearing 14 with a horizontal shaft 15 connected with. the motor 16. The

shafts. 13 and '15 and motor are hung underthe platformlby means of hangers 17. .The gears 12 mesh with a large ear 18 fastened tothe' bottom of the frame B at a point above the base ring 41. This gear 18 is composed of a channeled ring 19 having the channel facing inwardly toward the center, and teeth are formed by pins 20 passing through upper and lower flanges 21 and 22, and on the pins are hollow rollers 23 with which the gears 12 mesh. As the gears 12 rotate, the sign frame is turned to or equivalent display matter.

A collector ring the cap piece 11 to provide the necessary electrical connections between a supply circuit and the lamps 24: on the letters C. Gollector rings 25 and 26 are mounted on the cap piece and suitably connected with the lamps of the letters, and brushes 27 and 28 carried by the tank roof A bear on the rings 25 and 26, respectively, and. these brushes are connected with supply circuit wires 29 and 30 in any well known manner.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the p1 at- A display the illuminated letters 0 device D is provided at.

invention appertains, and While Iha vedescribed the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,I

porting the frame on said track, letters on the frame, and means for rotating thev frame.

2. The combination of a Water tank or equivalent object, a sign frame rotatably surrounding the same, a fixed platform, a track on the platform, means rotatably supporting the frame on'said track, letters on the frame, a gear on the frame, a motor mounted on the platform, and a gear driven by the motor mentioned gear to rotate the frame.

3. The combination of a water tankbr equival'ent object, a sign frame rotatably surrounding the same, a fixed platform, a track on the platform, means rotatablysupporting the frame on said track, letters on the frame, a gear on the frame, a motor mounted on the platform, upright shafts extending through the platform, gears on the shafts and meshing with the first-mentioned gear to rotate the frame, and a motor carried under the platform and. operatively connected with the said shafts.

4. The combination of a visible elevated posed shaft alt the top Of in the bearing,

the shaft is connected.

and meshing with the first- I over the topof the object, ters' on 'the"'frame,- collector rings on the object,-a rotatable sign frame surrounding the same, a gearmember annularly mounted on the frame, upright shafts at opposite points, gears on the shafts meshing with the first-mentioned gear member, a horizontal shaft geared to the first-mentioned shafts,

and, a motor connected With the horizontal shaft. i

"5. The combination of a supporting struc ture, a sign frame, a track on the supporting structure, grooved Wheels on Q the 'sign frame riding on the track, a vertically disthe sign frame, and a bearing on the supporting structure for thesaid shaft. I I 6. The combination of a water tank, a bearing in the roof thereof, a shaft disposed and a sign frameto which '7.The combination of a sign frame, an object'around which the sign frame rotates, a cap-piece disposed above said object and connected with the sign frame, a, shaft on the cap-piece, and a bearing on' said object for thesaid shaft. v

8. The combination of a rotatable sign frame, an object around which the frame rotates, a cap-piece onthe frame disposed illuminated letcap-piece, and brushes on the said object for connection with the collector rings.

9. The combination of a supporting structure, a sign frame rotatably mounted thereon, a channeled ring having its channel facing inwardly, pins passing through flanges on the ring, rollers on the pins forming gear" teeth, and a gear meshing with the rollers to rotate the frame."

1 FREDERICK W. 'MEYER.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by 2a.: 1dressi11g the Gommissioner of Patents,

' 'Washington', D; 0.? 

